Compaq redefines home computers with small, usefull Presarios

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): From time to time, we see products that, at first glance, look very familiar. However, when we look closely, we notice small improvements on what we have been used to. In the world of PCs and notebooks, these improvements can sometimes be minor but make life easier nonetheless.

Other times we see breakthroughs that change the course of the technology and industry. In each case, however, our most common reaction would be, "Why didn't they think of it before?"

Recently, Compaq launched their new Presarios -- the tower, minitower and notebook -- that are loaded with small but useful new features.

The top of the line Presario 4800 Series, as you would expect from today's high-end machine, runs on an Intel Pentium II processor. That's no news. The front panel has a cover that protects the drives from dust -- and haze from the forest fires. That's no news either. The price is US$2,999. That's still no news.

What is new is the placement of the video and audio connector ports in front, on top of the drive shelves. That's neat. In the past, we've had to grab the entire housing and turn it around first because these jacks were usually located at the back, at the rear end of the expansion card.

You know what I mean? Well, try this: unplug all the speakers and the microphone from your multimedia PC, leave it alone for a couple of days until you've forgotten where each of the plugs should go in and try to reconnect them.

That's how difficult it is. But, with the color-coded ports now located in front of the housing -- and it's actually not really too difficult to move them to the front -- we no longer have to guess where the jacks go.

The new Compaq comes with Intel ProShare included, so you can connect your video camera and create a short video clip of your own act. Why a short one? Because you will need a lot of hard disk space to store video data. The 2.1 GB hard disk (3.2 GB or larger is actually available) would be filled up completely if you record just 10 minutes of video.

The video capture program is interesting, too. You can make the video image brighter if the room is too dark, for example, or improve the contrast if the object is too bright. Once recorded, you can send the clip of your little baby to Grandma via E-mail.

Suppose you don't want to create a video clip but, instead, you want a video-conferencing session with a friend who lives across the ocean, all you'll have to do is unplug the video camera and plug in a simpler PC video camera, such as the one from Connectix.

A couple of clicks, and you both can see and talk to each other. Again, this is not difficult to do, as the ports are located in front.

Other features for the enthusiasts (with healthy bank accounts, of course) include what you may find in any high-end personal computer soon: 2X DVD-ROM drive, MPEG-2, AC-3 Dolby Digital surround sound, Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) -- the new graphics standard from Intel, 4 MB SyncGraphics (video) memory, 512 Pipeline Burst cache, and a speakerphone with every telephony convenience.

Oh, another new improvement that I almost forgot to mention is the backlit Easy Access Buttons. With illuminated icons, these buttons allow you to turn the PC on instantly, control the DVD- ROM drive and the speakerphone. The icon will blink when the button is pressed. Small thing, but useful nonetheless.

Still another nifty feature is the Internet button. Press this one, and the PC will initiate the process of connecting to the Internet. Understandably, we need to setup the system before we can start using it.

Discman

When was the last time you used your Discman? Chances are, you could play your favorite CD for two hours at the most, and then you were already looking for power outlet. What about 8 hours of continuous play? By all means, you'd say. This one is expensive, but you'll get a Pentium notebook along with the Discman.

What is interesting about the new Presario 1200 and 1600 Series is that we can play the CD drive without having to turn on the notebook.

That's the secret behind the eight-hour playing time. Hm, did I hear: "Why didn't they think of it earlier?" Like the previous Presario notebooks, the buttons are placed in such a way that we don't even have to open the lid to use them.

Another interesting thing about the more expensive notebook (Presario 1600 Series) is the bass enhancement feature. Compaq calls it 4X Bass Reflex.

You'll see an open chamber in each side where the thumps come out. It won't pound your heart or shatter your ears, but, then again, your Discman cannot give you any better sounds.

The entry-level Presario 1210 also comes with a high-contrast dual scan LCD screen. Its size is a modest 12.1 inches. The more expensive Presario 1600 Series, as expected, comes with a TFT display -- but still 12.1 inches. In many cases, the passive matrix display provides better protection from prying eyes of the person sitting in the next seat.

Battery

Of course, we can accurately check the amount of juice left in the battery by turning the notebook on and running the special utility.

But here's another innovation introduced by Compaq: On the battery pack itself there are four tiny LEDs. You take it out of its well and press a button. You'll know how much power it has in store by noting which of the LEDs turns on. If you're a road warrior, you can have more than one battery packs and you can test each one without having to boot up your notebook every time.

One thing that I really would like to see in a notebook is a standardized battery. If we run out of power, we can just run to the Seven-eleven store on the corner and buy a fully-charged new battery. Once, in the past, Compaq used batteries made by Duracell, but I guess because the design of the notebook kept changing, it was difficult to stick to Duracell.

Notebook designs tend to emphasize slimness and therefore it's getting more difficult to fit a standard Duracell battery into it.

Nevertheless, all the new improvements found in the latest Presarios, including the front placement of the video and audio jacks, audio-CD playing without having to boot up the notebook, and power indication on the battery pack itself, are certainly welcomed. Hopefully the other PC and notebook vendors adopt them and even improve on them.